The Curiosity Principle
by Mango and Papaya Peaches
Summary: Amy Farrah Fowler has lived her life as a curious scientist willing to explore the wonders of the mind in greater depth, yet she has trouble applying this same passion to human beings. This began to change as she met Penny and Bernadette, but she wasn't ready for the tall and handsome male that suddenly entered her life.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: Yes, I know this is a bizarre and strange couple that will never happen in a million years. But I was simply curious because on some level, I feel like this would have been a very interesting couple. Amy's characterisation here will be a mix of her more 'Sheldon-like' persona to her current character. Also for those who are curious, the episode where Amy meets Zac is in Season 4 Episode 10 'The Alien Parasite Hypothesis.'

Amy was always a woman that enjoyed her own comfort zone and to her this meant watching Little House on the Prairie at home or playing her harp. Ever since she met Penny, this started to change. She admired the blonde's adventurous spirit and charming smile, it had a way of making her feel at ease when Penny would take her to a place she wasn't familiar with. Today was one of those nights. She sat in a bar with Penny and Bernadette, observing them as they made conversation that she listened to quietly but could barely understand. Amy watched and sipped on her sparkling water as Penny complimented Bernadette's necklace, the pair had been talking about several topics for a few hours as Amy began to reconnect with the night time atmosphere around her. The animated murmur of other patrons in the background, speaking of their own personal experience to their peers. The sound of alcohol being poured in glasses by the bartender's. The constant dragging of wood against wood as people came and went. It was something that felt both alien and familiar to her, immersing herself in a crowded place yet being isolated in her own zone of comfort. The only difference was that she was not alone and with her friends.

"Did you know that the iconic Valentine's heart is not based on the shape of a human heart, but rather on the shape of the buttocks of a female bending over?" It was the first topic that came to mind as her attention was drawn to the pendant, she decided to join her friends in their discussion but wondered if she made a fatal error as the other pair looked at her with mild confusion. Penny had replied briefly to her comment, which gave her a sense of relief, yet she was unable to focus as a tall blur of blue shuffled past her. The people who walked in and out of the bar would always rouse her curiosity but there was something different about this person, they didn't keep going and stopped once reaching her table. Amy stiffened. She wondered if the person had noticed her staring and in her discomfort she quickly eyed the figure. Tall, dark and certainly handsome. She couldn't help but stare at the way the baby blue shirt rested against his well-defined body, or the dark curly hair that reminded her of 'Superman' from one of Sheldon's many comics. She took a moment to memorise his dark brown eyes, when she noticed that he was not paying attention to her, nor Bernadette but most predictably Penny. It wasn't something that Amy would have gotten upset about, but yet something about the way that they stared at one another in an unspoken familiar intimacy made her deflate. All of a sudden she felt her comfort zone shrink around her and she clasped her hands together and placed them in her lap, sitting up straight as if it would make her comfortable. Nobody appeared to be paying attention to her though, which for once she was thankful for.

"-Uh Zac, these are my friend's Bernadette and Amy" She briefly heard Penny mention, while it made something inside her shudder she continued to remain stone faced, not wanting to make a fool of herself.

"Hey." The deep voice of his threw her off, it didn't help that he was now staring directly at herself and Bernadette.

"Hi." Bernadette replied kindly and Amy knew it was now her turn to exchange pleasantries, yet this man had made her feel uneasy.

"Hoo…" She furrowed her brows as the high pitched noise exited her mouth and mentally sighed. So much for not making a fool of herself. Bernadette and Penny appeared to notice this erratic behaviour but Amy tried to redeem herself, assuming the indifferent face that she had earlier. She was thankful that Zac didn't seem to notice. Yet, as he walked away she felt that sinking feeling return. Beautiful people were scary.

The conversation naturally shifted to Zac, which Amy wished it hadn't. She took another sip of her sparkling water as she began to feel flushed and tried to avoid staring at the general direction of Penny's friend. She returned back to the conversation between Bernadette and Penny, yet again the words that they exchanged were foreign to her.

"I'm often flummoxed by current slang, does 'went out' mean 'had intercourse'?" She asked with curious intent, though she had a brief idea of the answer based on the way that Zac and Penny had acted earlier. She took a moment to envision the pair as a couple and she couldn't imagine a more fitting match, one beautiful person with another. Penny had given the answer she had been expecting and at this point Amy felt herself drift away from Penny and Bernadette's exchange of words, her attention unforgivingly on a certain male in the background as he bent over.

"Hoo…" The noise came out again and Amy frowned, she noted that her friends stopped to stare at her so she quickly came up with an explanation. "I'm suddenly feeling flushed, my heart rate is elevated, my palms are clammy, my mouth is dry." At this point, Amy took the opportunity to take another sip of her water. "In addition… I keep involuntarily saying 'hoo'…" The words left her mouth as her eyes drifted towards Zac and to Amy's discomfort Penny followed her line of sight.

"Ohh, we all know what's causing that, don't we?" The blonde smiled teasingly, staring at Amy with a mischievous glance.

Amy couldn't understand it, how Penny could casually tease a friend about attraction to her ex-boyfriend. It was there that Amy made herself painfully aware of something, Zac used to date Penny and as she stated before they were visually a perfect couple. Her attraction to him was likely to be a fleeting anomaly and she could go back to focusing herself on things that she was comfortable with, such as observation and science. She assured herself that there was no way a woman like her would be suitable for a man like Zac. This wasn't attraction. It wasn't.

"It's no mystery." She blurted out as Bernadette and Penny looked at her, she kept her head high but Amy focused her gaze to the rim of the wooden table as she uttered out a complete lie. "I obviously have the flu, coupled with Tourette's syndrome." She repeated continuously in her head, that this attraction was an anomaly, yet her flushed cheeks betrayed her thoughts. She noticed the smiles of Penny and Bernadette fall to confusion and to this she relaxed slightly. She took another sip of her water and hastily stood wanting a moment to cool her mind and also to get away from the source of her discomfort.

"Excuse me. I'm going to the bathroom." She said as monotonously as possible, trying to appear like normal, though as she passed that blur of blue she felt her steps quicken. Once she arrived at the bathroom she took a moment to eye her reflection, luckily in her expression betrayed her thoughts and feelings. She steadied her breath and made a move to wash her hands as she heard the familiar creak of the bathroom door indicating someone had walked in. When she felt her heartbeat finally relax she walked out of the bathroom to re-join her friends. She suddenly felt the futility of her time in the bathroom as she hesitantly walked back to her table, during her short time in the bathroom she had decided that fate was playing a cruel trick on her, because as she returned she was greeted with her smiling friends as they drank champagne and a third member. Zac, in his unforgettable blue shirt was sitting in between her previously abandoned chair and Penny's place at the table. As she took a seat beside him, she tried to remain impassive and not be affected by how close he was. The scientist inside of her was urging her to observe him more closely than she had before, this time she decided to ignore it as she looked to both Penny and Bernadette for an explanation.

"Zac said his shift just finished and he wanted to stay for a few drinks!" Penny exclaimed, Amy didn't miss the mischievous glint in her eye that betrayed her intentions.

"I hope that's okay with you." The voice to her left said, her heartbeat instantly fluttered as she turned to face him, giving the male a nod as she tried to find words.

"That's fine." Another complete lie, it wasn't fine. She was beyond distressed. "I'm always willing to talk to a friend of Penny's." This wasn't a lie, but Amy could feel herself eating the words as he gave her a polite smile.

"So… We were just telling Zac about what you and Bernadette do for a living."

"Yeah, pretty much. I think Penny said something about you being a new ro…." He trailed off and had a quizzical expression on his face, for the first time that evening Amy managed a faint smile. The way that he tried to say the word reminded her of Penny when she was often confused with scientific terms, it was something she found oddly endearing.

"Neurobiologist." She said briefly and by now she had expected him to turn his attention back to Penny, so she was about to busy herself with observing her surroundings and trying to appear as she usually did. Trying to ignore the rapid heartbeat in her chest. To her surprise Zac was still facing her, a look of interest in his eyes as the word rolled off her tongue so naturally.

"That sounds really awesome! Penny and Bernadette said it had to do with the brain?" She raised an eyebrow at his behaviour and her breath hitched as she saw his expression light up, she nodded.

He began to ask her more questions of what she did and she answered them honestly. From her observation she noted that he wasn't exactly the sharpest pencil in the box, as he failed to grasp some of the concepts that she spoke of. This would normally have put her off if it wasn't for the sheer interest he expressed with her words, it wasn't like all the times that Penny and Bernadette would raise a quizzical eyebrow at her quirky phrases. Zac was thoroughly absorbed and the feeling was almost euphoric to Amy. The two had become engrossed in conversation that she had almost missed the way that Penny and Bernadette nudged each other with a smile and she was brought back to crippling reality. This was an anomaly. It shouldn't be happening. Amy, as a scientist should treat it as an anomaly and only that. She tried to look for an escape, what was happening now was wonderful and bizarre but she knew it wouldn't last. Zac noticed the sudden change in her behaviour.

"What's wrong?" She continued to peer into the distance and finally she found her excuse, on the wall the large clock told her that it was eleven. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's getting really late…" The words were mainly directed at Zac, but she turned to the other two. "I have to wake up early tomorrow… I have some observations to do in the morning." She stood up and took her bag, not really taking into account Penny and Bernadette's gentle pleas for her to stay longer.

"Well, it was really cool meeting you." His deep voice stopped her from leaving abruptly and she took a moment to engage in more pleasantries before she left.

"Likewise Zac." She wanted to keep this exchange brief to stop her from wanting to stay.

"See you again, maybe?" He tilted his head slightly and Amy had to stop herself from nodding, giving in and continue to seat herself at the table. She slung her bag around her shoulder, uttering what she hoped were her final words for the evening. Her final words to this attractive Superman.

"Perhaps, should we meet in the future by chance." She turned to her friends. "Goodbye Penny. Bernadette. Thank you for inviting me out today" Before they could reply Amy was already walking to the exit and towards her car. As she reached her home she lay heavily on her couch and berated herself for her earlier actions.

There was no way that she would allow herself to give in to the impossible.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: Hello I am back. Thank you all for taking an interest in my story! I was surprised to see that I even had reviews for it. I'm not sure how often I'll update because it's currently quite busy but I'll try to update as often as I can. Maybe even sneak in something for valentines. ;)

Also I realise it Zack. Not Zac. Sorry, I'll fix it another time.

Amy found herself recalling the days in which she was alone again, she had been doing so less as she spent time with her new friends. They were currently in a natural social spot, which rivalled the bar and Sheldon's apartment. She sat in one of Penny's one seated as she drank the green tea that Penny had been saving for her, knowing that the Brunette still wouldn't be comfortable drinking alcohol. Although, when looking to the blondes in front and beside her sipping the intoxicating liquid as they laughed merrily she felt that familiar urge in her body to give in. That was the way it had usually been whenever they were together, they would challenge her to do something she had never done in her entire life, it normally excited her but recently it was bothering her. For one, very big reason.

"Come on Amy! We saw you two together!" Bernadette slurred, her voice reaching a higher frequency as she twirled the half full glass in her hand, a dazed smile as she watched the cyclone of red liquid spin along the edges of the glass. Penny had nodded with her signature melodious laugh, which normally Amy would have happily observed if the pair hadn't been relentlessly hassling her about a certain man.

"I don't understand why you are being so stubborn. I've told you many times that we were merely exchanging pleasantries." She took a sip of her hot tea as a flash of his smile appeared in her memory, she cursed herself for paying such close attention to him as they talked. She urged herself to not get as ridiculously flustered as she did a few nights ago. Only because she was more prepared.

"Amy~ I don't know what you're talking about, pleasantries or whatever… There was totally something there!" Penny wasn't quite as tipsy as the shorter blonde was, but she was clearly intoxicated with something. Amy decided for her own curiosity that it was excitement, though she could never understand why.

"Why are the two of you pushing this? I'm not interested in-" She was cut off by the sound of Bernadette singing an off key rendition of 'Liar Liar, Pants on Fire' as the blonde looked wistfully into her nearly empty glass, Amy sighed as she was getting ignored. It annoyed her a little that her friends were trying to delude her into the same fantasies that she used to have in high school. There were clear boundaries that people had to stay in, the only exception is if anyone ever got invited inside. Now, here her friends were urging her to try and step inside that circle again. Something that she vowed never to do, for all the pain and disappointment that is caused. Things might have changed recently since Penny became her friend, but in Amy's eyes she was only standing by the edge. She was too afraid to let herself go and be pulled in, so as usual she tried to maintain that robotic façade. "Bernadette, I can't help but notice that you are very intoxicated. Perhaps it would be a good time for you to go home and rest and vomit. As I'm told one does after a 'wild night'"

Penny simply grinned at her as she tried to change the subject, ignoring Bernadette and she squinted at Amy. The blonde giggled at Amy as the latter looked at her puzzled, as if asking what was so funny. When Penny said it was how she seemed so defensive that it was funny, Amy merely looked at her with a blank stare. She was beginning to understand why her mother never allowed her to drink, it made you behave most bizarrely. She wondered if it was like this in her past, when the beautiful people would continue to the famed 'parties' then shrugged the thought from her mind. Before she could say anything else about the uncomfortable situation she somehow got herself into, a knock was heard on the other side of the door. She thanked whoever it was since it got Bernadette to stop singing. While the two were seemingly pre occupied talking to spectres of thin air, she briskly stood up to get the door, unsurprisingly seeing Howard Wolowitz on the other side. He attempted a small smile, which Amy returned with a nod.

"Is Bernie alright? She sent me a few strange texts."  
"I'm sure she will be fine, though I can't be sure of what will happen tomorrow morning."

Amy moved aside to let the small male past, as he placed a shoulder on his giggling girlfriend's and gently tried to get her attention. She watched it as if a child in a magic show, as the small male somehow managed to get her to set the champagne glass on the table and carefully supported her up as if she were fragile. He said a polite goodbye to Penny, to which she simply raised her glass. Amy's eyes were still fixed on the couple, the symptoms from that one night coming back as what she saw in front of her was no longer Howard and Bernadette but herself and Zack. She tensed where she stood and forced the image out of her mind, she didn't want to be prey to her own delusions. She pretended not to think about how it would feel if Zack held her close to him and looked at her with the same kind of affection that Howard gave Bernadette, it caused her palms to tingle with that unwanted longing that she so desperately wanted to hide. She had to thank the small Jewish man as he snapped her out of her thoughts, willing her goodbye with another cordial nod as he helped Bernadette outside of the room. Amy said a brief goodbye as she sat in her spot and let herself sink into the sofa, feeling heavy. It was oddly silent for a while, she thought that Penny had fallen asleep but then she noted that the blonde's vivid blue eyes were wide open.

"Amy ~ You know what I was thinking?" She turned as she looked at the brunette "We should go to a salsa club!"

The Brunette shook her head at the words, wondering if these were simply the ramblings of the alcohol and hoped Penny would forget later on. She had continued to chatter on with the blonde until the time passed and it was time for her to go, returning to her house with a heavy sigh as her friend's constant persistence had caused her to see images of the tall male on her journey home. In posters, in streetlamps and even as she looked at a fairly exquisite puddle on the ground. Oh, how Amy tried to recollect the days she had been alone.

The cycle of mentioning Zack had repeated so often that it forced Amy to admit that somewhat, she had actually wanted to see him. But she reasoned that it was only so she could conquer these fleeting feelings of hers, telling herself over and over that it was nothing but a lie. It happened one day that she would be able to see him again, if only by chance. After a long day at the lab, she thought it was reasonable if she went to treat herself by making her way to the small music shop that she frequented whenever she needed to buy equipment for her harp. There was also another reason why she liked the place so much and that was when the kindly old lady of the shop would sometimes play the instruments with a professional grace that would make Amy stare in awe. As she parked her car and made her way to the store, where she relaxed at the sight of the wind chimes hanging on the small covering of the store, the pattern of each piece of tuned metal replicated that of a delicate swan and Amy enjoyed the way they sang to the tune of the wind. As she drew closer and placed her hand on the bronze doorknob, she couldn't help but notice that it was far too quiet but kept the thought at the back of her mind as she walked inside.

Or at least she tried to, when she stepped in she collided with something hard that sent her falling backward in surprise.

"Oh my god! Are you alright?" It all happened so quickly, Amy tried to regain her bearings as she attempted to stand up by herself before a large hand was offered to her. She took the hand as the man helped her up and she wondered why she recognised that deep, earnest voice. It was only a few seconds later that she realised that she was holding Zack's hand and all of a sudden the skin that made contact with the tall giant's suddenly burned furiously as Amy felt a rush in her body. This was the real Zack, no delusion or otherwise. She instantly took her hand away and uttered a 'Thank you'. He was about to respond when he looked at her carefully and suddenly broke out into his all too charming smile. "Hey! You're Amy, right? The new ro… New ro.. Penny's friend!"

She genuinely looked astonished that he remembered but simply returned the sentiment, what on earth was Zack doing here? "Yes and you are Zack, Penny's friend." Amy nodded as she scanned around for Eunice, the grandma. The shop seemed to be covered in brown boxes and she squinted to find her in the heap.

"Young man? Who are you talking to? Is that little Amy I hear?" As if on cue, the woman spoke out from somewhere through the boxes. Amy carefully followed the source of the voice and found the elderly woman sitting on a chair with a pillow as support. "Hello Amy. It's been a while since you visited the shop. Sorry for the mess." Amy was about to speak when the old lady spoke out to Zack. "Young man? Would you like to take a quick break?" The tall male shook his head as he lifted another box and brought it to the back of the shop, where Amy assumed the storage was. As soon as he left, Eunice began to talk about what a nice young man he was. Explaining what had happened to Amy which thankfully answered the many questions in her head. The old woman had been crossing the street, lifting the boxes to her store when a car came by as she was crossing the road. Zack had been nearby and helped her to safety but Eunice has hurt her back from the impact, he then offered to help her move all the things since she was injured. Amy a little confused by the coincidence could only nod at the woman, then seeing at the amount of boxes that still had to be moved decided to offer her help. While Eunice tried to decline, not wanting to be a bother to any more people Amy insisted as she lifted a box and followed where Zack had gone earlier, seeing him carefully organising the musical trinkets.

"Hello…" She said, suddenly realising how unforgivingly flustered she was getting at the sight of Zack. "Eunice told me what happened. I want to help." Amy looked away from him as his brown eyes stared at her, she looked around the storage and set the box down with the other items labelled 'guitar tuner.' Surprisingly, there was an awkward silence and when she went over to where Zack was she noticed that he looked deep in thought. She followed his line of vision and saw his eyeing the intricate musical equipment as if confused by the names and where to place them. When she stood near him, though at a distance she felt was appropriate he seemed to break from his thoughts and smiled at her.

"It's a small world, huh?" He looked like he was thinking over something "I never thought I'd bump into you here."  
"Neither did I." Her hands, as if by habit clasped over one another and rested on her lap. "Eunice told me what happened. That was nice of you to help her."  
He looked confused for a moment. "Who now? Oh! You mean granny? Well I couldn't just leave her there, you know?" Then as if something occurred to him, he tilted his head slightly as he looked at Amy. "You go here a lot then? Play an instrument?"  
"Yes. I do." The only brief answer that she could give, it was getting hard for her to ignore the heat on her skin or the way that he heart beat erratically out of rhythm. She took that chance to go and get another box from the front of the store, the elderly woman was humming a tune as she kept herself busy doing the inventory without straining her back. The process continued for a while with Amy and Zack going back and forth, engaging in small conversation as the space was clearing to slowly reveal the music store that she had adored so much. She had been so preoccupied with her thoughts that when carrying one of the last boxes, she missed a table edge that caused her to almost fall. To her relief she didn't, as she was caught by strong arms that held themselves steady around her shoulders, she gulped as the fantasy from a few days ago had somewhat come true though did everything in her power to not show her discomfort. She simply thanked Zack and hurriedly placed the last box in the right place.

Eunice looked at the pair with a smile. "I don't know how I can thank you both. I honestly appreciate this so much." She clasped her aged hands together in thought when a smile broke out on her face. "Young man, please take a break." She handed him a snack from the table she was sitting nearby.

"Little Amy… It's been so long that you were here that I never got a chance to show you something." Amy looked at her curiously, waiting for her to elaborate. Eunice gestured to a mahogany door on her left. "There's something in there that Bertie calls his masterpiece. I think you'll like it." Amy didn't move from her place until gestured to persistently by Eunice. As she opened the mahogany door, she couldn't help but gaze at the majestic instrument that was inside. It held a different type of beauty from that of Penny and Zack, the ivory paint allowed it to have an ephemeral quality and the strings appeared to shine in the light. Amy looked at the harp and couldn't help but think it had the elegance of a swan in the moonlight. She was so enthralled that she didn't notice Eunice's smile as the old woman caught the faint traces of awe in Amy's normally stoic face. "Will you play something for us, dear?" The kindly old lady suggested, though Amy knew that it wasn't really a question.

"I couldn't." Regardless Amy tried to decline, the idea of Zack watching her as she fumbled on a harp that she could never do justice with her average playing didn't appeal to her. But she knew somehow that Eunice would get her way and Amy had a deep temptation to feel the strings of the masterpiece. As she predicted, Eunice urged her to the point where she gave in and Zack looked on with interest as she brought out the beautiful instrument, dragging it with such care to a nearby stool and she gazed at the floor. "But not for too long…" She mumbled, somehow unable to look at Zack as she took a deep breath and started playing a familiar tune from her childhood. At first she was stiff against the strings and made mistakes constantly. The whole time, she didn't look at her audience. It wasn't a question of stage fright, but rather that she could feel the intensity of their gaze to the point it made her feel vulnerable. However as she urged herself to get lost in the music, that feeling lifted and she closed her eyes, gaining more confidence as she somehow ended up playing the whole measure. It wasn't until a stunned silence and light clapping that she opened her eyes again. Eunice was looking at her with a smile, but Zack…

Zack was what surprised her most of all, he wore his usual smile but he looked at her with such awe and glee that she couldn't ignore the way her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him. The way he was enthusiastically praising her with his words, repeating how 'amazing' and 'awesome' she was, it was hard to process and she mumbled a 'thank you' to the floor. The elder woman looked at the scene with amusement.


	3. Valentines Special 2017!

Author's note: Happy Valentine's Day everyone! (Advance or belated depending where you are in the world) Here is a little chapter that has nothing to do with the plot, but I added just for fun. I hope you like it. Also I'm not a scientist so forgive the vague descriptions of anything scientific. I'd rather be vague about it then attempt to add it in and get it completely wrong.

Valentine's Day had never been a special day for Amy, it was just another day on the calendar. She had never called it by the name that the others had given it. To her it was always February 14th and nothing else. It wasn't that she was resentful to the tradition at all, in fact she found it nice that there was a day in a year to celebrate love. Yet she never took part because there was no one she could celebrate that love with. When she was younger, her parents would spend the day together as she busied herself reading advance books for neurobiology. It was a nice comfort to her when she noted the chemical reaction during attraction, secretly she hoped that she could take part one day to understand what had made it so special. This was a desire that she had managed to keep hidden for many years, so why was it that now when she was a fully-fledged adult that the same desire burned at her?

Of course it had to do with her new friends. In the past the idea of celebrating had been so distant to her. The couples that she saw were merely strangers, save for her parents. So when her friends had told her they would be busy that day, spending time with their significant others, all of a sudden the problem was too close and too personal. Despite her discomfort, there was no way that she would bring this up to them. Thankfully, she had already planned a day schedule in the lab to keep herself busy. Though despite herself, here she was now in her lab carrying out an experiment for her latest addiction study and she couldn't help but distract herself with thinking about what her friends were doing at this moment. Were they having a romantic dinner in a restaurant, staying indoors and watching movies? She shook the thoughts from her mind as each second she wasted thinking about them caused an unmistakeable void to fill inside of her. She had wanted it to, she had always wanted to experience it. Yet again, there wasn't anyone for her to spend it with. Sheldon believed that the holiday was only a banal tradition that lesser beings caved into, in order to hide from their own stupidity. In fact he had praised Amy on her decision to spend the day in the pursuit of science, which he proudly claimed that he would do as well. She noted the logical nature of his view, but she wouldn't tell Sheldon that she didn't think Valentines was a waste of time. If only he knew that she had dreams of spending it with a certain someone, he would surely laugh at her.

Naturally, these were only pointless fantasies that she entertained herself with since she had met the man. She imagined that he was probably spending it with a beautiful and charismatic woman, enjoying himself. At that thought she accidently dropped the clipboard that she was holding when observing the subject before her, the brunette sighed and retrieved the object from the floor. There was still too much to do, she tried to remain focused and recalled the words she had told herself in the past. " _Today is February 14_ _th_ _. It's just another day. Like any other day it will come and go."_

After what had felt like a very long last five hours in the lab, she had eventually finished. Surprisingly earlier than she had anticipated as her watch told her it was only 6:00 pm. As she walked out into the streets, she tried to ignore the decorations and subtle signs that love was in the air. She eyes the couples as they passed, seemingly appearing from any corner of the street that she exited. The brunette sighed once more and made her way to where her car was parked, the walk itself had been uneventful for a time and yet felt as long as the hours she spent indoors. In the distance she could hear the sounds of running and the yells of people playing sports. In this moment, Amy had wished that she had paid more attention as all of a sudden a voice called out and she felt a blunt impact at the side of her head that caused a dull ache to spread. The brunette winced and fixed her glasses, letting her palm rest where she had just been hit, she was about to just walk away until she was stopped.

"Oh god! Are you okay?"  
"Yes, I'm fine." Amy didn't turn to face the person, who she presumed was the one that kicked the ball in the first place.  
"No way you're fine after that! Come on, let me go and look at it."

Before she could protest the person was already dragging her towards the green grass where the pitch was, urging her to sit on the bench. He sat next to her and examined her head with care, sighing in relief that she wasn't bleeding.

"Well. It could have been a lot worse." He asked her routine questions on how she was feeling, yet he still insisted that she stay put for a while. As the man was talking she let her eyes wander to the players on the pitch, who were continuing with the game once the ball was retrieved, she didn't have much knowledge on soccer but there was a certain intensity and power to each player that left her intrigued. Her eyes were drawn to one of the taller players as he ran along the large pitch with such ease and precision, upon closer observation she noted that the face was very familiar. The dark curly hair and well-toned body belonging to the very same man that had constantly interrupted her dreams. As if he were aware of her staring, the male turned to face her midgame looking at her in surprise but then he gave her an energetic wave, one that caused him to lose the ball that he was currently kicking. The brunette was tense and the man who was with her followed her line of vision to where Zack had just made a clumsy mistake. "You know him?" Was all he said, to which Amy had nodded. The man didn't say anything more, but then left her where she was and went up to the players. Amy was about to just make her way and leave when she saw Zack coming towards her and the man was now playing in place of him. She tensed and gulped down the nausea that she could feel threatening to escape her. Once he came to where she sat, Amy noticed that his skin was slightly red from exertion and he panted lightly. Although he wasn't in the same condition as the other players who looked to be on the verge of exhaustion.

"Hey!" He breathed out, taking a seat next to her as he grabbed a water bottle from one of the many bags stacked beside the bench and took a swig. "Fancy seeing you here."  
"Hello…" Amy rested her hands in her lap and stared down at them, deciding to focus on the fading pain in her head rather than Zack.  
"Mike told me you got hit in the head with the ball. Sorry about that. Are you okay?"  
Amy nodded.  
"Well I gotta apologise for the guy. He's got a mad kick but no control." The tall male laughed. "But it's good he came to check on you."

The more Zack talked, the more a question began to rattle Amy. Why was Zack here, playing football when it's Valentine's Day? Surely a handsome man like him would have a woman to spend such a day with. It was odd, but Amy was going to pretend that she didn't like that fact. Only on the grounds that it made no sense. As he made small talk with her, she wondered if she could somehow bring the topic up but failed miserably. So it was to her relief that he somehow brought it up himself.

"Today's normally a big day for everyone. But me and the boys just wanted to have fun. One or two of them have girlfriends but they were out of town." He shrugged at that and Amy turned to face him. She wondered if he were one of those two. "What about you, Amy?" The question was one she wanted to avoid but he asked it with such genuine curiosity, his eyes looked at her for an answer though he didn't press for one.

"Today I was working… Penny and Bernadette are on dates. So I was just going to go home." As she said the words, she couldn't believe how lonely it made her sound and she expected Zack to leave it at that.  
"So, no big plans then?" Amy raised an eyebrow at the question but shook her head. "Well then, wanna do something fun with me?" Amy could only blink.

What on earth was he asking her? Is this real? Was the blow to the head harder than she thought and now she was hallucinating? She lightly pinched her arm without Zack noticing and could feel the pain as she did. Now, the nervousness overtook her. This wasn't normal yet she wanted it to proceed because the chance may never present itself again, she had been silent for a while and she heard Zack repeat his question.

"What do you mean?" She had managed to say, relatively calmly. Though if you focused you could hear a slight tremble in her voice.  
"There's a carnival not too far from here. It looks like a lot of fun and I think you'll like it."  
"Oh."  
She noticed that his smile fell ever so slightly, as if disappointed. "You don't want to?" Amy wanted to curse herself at that moment, whatever was happening right now had definitely thrown her off guard. But she would miss a chance at something that she desired, spending time with Zack. She needed to ignore the side of her that was trying to rationalise what was going on, sure it could have been he meant as friends. None of that mattered. She shouldn't let the chance slip away.  
"I…I would like to…" The words were barely audible, she had found a very fascinating piece of grass to focus on as she said it. She could feel his gaze burn at the side of her head, causing a strange sensation of tingling at her neck and spine. "But what about your game?"

It was as if her question went unheard as Zack beamed at her, then stood up. He told her that he would be back and she watched him as he made his way to his teammates on the court making conversation with them. As he did this, Amy used the time to calm herself down and try to think of the carnival that he wanted to go to. She wasn't sure what it had in store but yet she agreed, the brunette eyed the watch in her hand and saw it was now 6:30 pm which marked the very first time that she would have spent Valentine's Day with another person. If she told Penny and Bernadette she would never hear the end of their teasing, yet a warmth and excitement came to her as she continued to process the events of today. It was no longer just another day. When she started to pay attention to where Zack had been, she noticed the other players playfully hitting his arm as she stared on in bewilderment. He eventually waved them goodbye and jogged back over to her, grabbing his bag, the coat that was carelessly tossed over it and his water. She then stood up when he asked if she was ready. Tentatively she followed him out of the pitch, gazing at the road that lead to where her car was parked briefly. When they were walking together, Amy made it a point to walk a few steps behind him. Something which Zack noticed after a while, thinking that he was walking too fast so he slowed down to match her. She tried to repeat since she felt too nervous being too close to him, but he only did the same thing. The walk was anything but silent, but it was mainly Zack speaking about random topics and Amy giving a few brief answers. Despite this, the atmosphere was comfortable without any awkward tension.

She eventually saw the amusement park come into view, the music blaring through speakers and it was crowded with many people. Some children and their parents, couples and some others who were there for their own reasons. Amy gasped as she took in the scene of the vivid colours and bright lights. It was something that she had only ever saw through the television, since she never had the chance to go to the fair. Her eyes locked onto the numerous clowns and the different rides that seemed to fill up all the space, yet looked so distant. It gave her a brief feeling of nostalgia from a childhood she never experienced. When she had enough of taking in her surroundings, she turned to Zack since she wasn't sure what to do next. It took him a while to notice this as they continued to stand by the gate, until it seemed to click in his mind.

"Say, where do you want to go first?" Amy took a quick scan of her surroundings, before mumbling a quick 'I don't mind'. When Zack heard what she said, he went and grasped her hand without a second thought. To which Amy internally protested, she refused to move and he looked at her before smiling. "We have to stay together, or we'll get separated in the crowd." With that he dragged her past the people, while she focused on the warmth of his hand as it covered her own. So many things flashed past her as she stared at the man who was guiding her through the crowd, when they came to a sudden halt. In front of her was a large house, simply labelled 'House of Mystery.' The pair paid a ticket to enter, to her surprise the 'mystery' involved was simply the use of iridescent lights and paint and mechanics that cause inanimate figures to move. It wasn't particularly scary and Amy felt that it wasn't intended to be. She looked at Zack to see his reactions, which only made her want to smile with amusement. The man looked like a young boy in a candy store as he gaped at the many things the house had to offer, it was almost endearing the way he looked so genuinely impressed. After they exited the house, they were stopped by one of the workers at the exit. He gave them a coupon that stated 'Free Ferris Wheel rides for Couples,' which caused Amy to blush and Zack to stammer a little awkwardly. Though she noted that neither of them bothered to correct the worker, both opting to just carry on enjoying themselves. Next they rode the teacups and some other rides until the pair decided to have a break.

They ordered snacks at one of the food stalls and wandered aimlessly, Amy paused briefly when something had caught her eye. An original Raggedy Ann doll was sitting with many other stuff toys, it looked like one she had as a child before accidentally losing it during one of her family's moves. She was drawn closer to the stall, which Zack eventually noticed. It one of the games where you had to knock the cans down with a ball. Amy had known the dark secret behind these stall games, yet she still wanted to try for the doll. She paid the vendor $1 for 3 tries, calculating carefully where the weakest point in the structure was. Maybe there wasn't one if it had been glued down but she tried to remain optimistic. This hope had faded sometime during her second throw. The cans did move slightly, telling her that maybe there was hope and she had thrown accurately at the places she aimed. The only thing lacking was more power. Eventually she gave up hope after her third try, where the vendor emotionlessly humoured her. She was about to go wander along with Zack again, when she noticed he had walked closer to the stall.

"Can you hold this for me?" He handed her his wrap, paying for three turns from the man. What was he thinking?  
"You don't have to." She stated, and it was true. There was no reason to continue, it was a useless effort. Yet he only shook his head at her, getting into a stance that was similar to that of baseball players as he hurled the ball past the vendor. Who shuddered as if the impact had cut her skin. The ball hit the wall with a loud thud, but none of the cans were hit. Zack laughed awkwardly, as if trying to save face. Then assumed the position again, this time he had aimed a little lower which caused the three top cans to successfully be knocked off. Amy didn't want to hope, yet she found herself saying after observing him. "You're aiming too high. Try to aim it just below the centre." The words were brief, frank yet there was a glimmer of hope. Somehow watching Zack throw the ball, she wanted to believe that a miracle would happen. Today the unusual had already happened, Amy was curious to see how far it would go. Zack nodded at her and assumed his position again, this time taking a deep breath before throwing the ball with such explosive force that the vendor jumped three spaces away from the area of impact. Amy's eyes widened as all the cans lay helplessly on their sides, rolling around and dropping to the floor. The tall male exclaimed in celebration and the vendor sighed, going back to her normal apathetic state.

"Congratulations." She said dryly. "Choose a prize!" The false exclamation was enough for Amy to tilt her head, she wondered what prize Zack would choose.  
"I'll let the lady choose." He turned to her and smiled, taking his wrap back and eating a large bite from it. Amy almost stumbled as she walked towards the stall, eyeing the Raggedy Ann. A foreign force of adrenaline overcame her, despite the fact that Zack had done all the work. She almost was willing to say she was proud. Amy pointed at the doll and the vendor handed it to her, the brunette looked at the toy fondly and carried it in the free arm that wasn't holding food and her bag. The vendor rolled her eyes. "Have a nice day!" She hummed sarcastically. Amy and Zack walked away from the stall.

"You didn't need to do that." Amy took a bite out of her sandwich, being careful and holding Ann firmly in her arm. "Wasn't there something you wanted?"  
Zack shook his head. "Not really. Besides isn't it worth it when they get annoyed like that? I know there's talk that they like to cheat." He laughed again and they continued to wander around the area. The pair somehow ended up going on a carousel ride, Amy amused herself at the sight of Zack on a small horse. His long legs were always on the floor even as the horse moved up and down. The sky was growing darker and Amy noted that it was now 8:00pm. Zack had dragged her to a cotton candy stall, insisting it was amazing and they needed to reboot their energy. The brunette was quite cautious of ordering one for herself once she saw the large size of Zack's cotton candy stick. In the end she didn't take one, but Zack persisted in letting her try some that she eventually took a piece. It was sickeningly sweet and the sugar rush caused her to shudder. They took a break as he finished off the remnants of the large cloud of candy. Amy stared at her watch once more. 8:20 pm.

"Zack, it's getting late. Maybe we should get going." The words were heavy in her mouth, she couldn't believe that it was almost time for this wonderful evening to end. The time flowed so much faster than when she was in her lab. Zack stood and threw away the stick, he nodded at her words but then his eyes widened as he remembered something. He took something out of his pocket and she saw the pink coupon from earlier, which caused her to flush a gentle shade of pink. Which she hoped was blocked out by the darkness.

"Stay for one last ride?" He asked softly, though Amy was reluctant because of what she thought it would mean if they went to the Ferris wheel. They weren't necessarily a couple, like what the coupon said. "It'll be a waste to throw it. It's free and all." The brunette found herself nodding though she was still torn. They walked over to the Ferris wheel, which due to the occasion had hearts and other paraphernalia associated with Valentine's Day plastered onto the carriages. Zack handed the man the ticket and he smiled at them, appearing kinder than the previous sarcastic vendor. They entered one of the carriages and Amy could feel her heart beating loudly, the pressure building up and thumping along the veins of her neck. She decided to sit adjacent from Zack and tried to busy herself with the feeling of moving up in the air, watching the scenery of the carnival from the window.

"You know. I've been so busy working that I forgot how fun these were." Naturally Zack had started a conversation, although he appeared more subdued than before. He sat carefree across from Amy as he said the words, they continued to move higher and when she faced him she noticed how the dull moonlight had illuminated his serene expression. She continued to listen to him quietly. "It sucks having to grow up? Doesn't it? We get so stressed about little things that we forget all the good things in life." She responded with a nod, afterwards he became silent once more. Though his eyes never left Amy from where she was sitting. The ride continued on in that same silence, when somewhere near the top Zack had moved toward her. Internally she was panicking, similar to earlier that day when he invited her here, she wasn't sure what his intentions were. His hand reached over to her and she gulped, noting the way his eyes bore into hers. Then a hand brushed her hair and she did her best not to react, though her own hands tensed into fists. Before she could do anything more, Zack moved back to his seat and was holding a leaf. "Sorry. You had a leaf in your hair." He smiled awkwardly and Amy felt an unwanted wave of disappointment. What was she expecting?

The ride went on with smoothly, Zack and Amy walked off towards the entrance of the fair and back in the direction of the soccer pitch. Zack had insisted on walking Amy to her car, since it was dark he was worried for he safety. The walk back had been oddly quiet and the only thing to fill the void were the sounds of crickets and the pair's footsteps as they walked in the night. Amy was trying to ignore the void that had filled her once again, her brief momentary fantasy was over and now she was back to facing reality. Her mind tried to make its way to neurobiology as a distraction, it had worked until they reached the place where her car was. That void unforgivingly grew deeper.

"Well… This is my car." She said, then faced him. Thinking it would at least be proper to thank him for tonight. "Thank you. I had a lot of fun." The words continued to be frank and brief, though Amy had meant them most sincerely. He smiled at the words.  
"I'm glad."

The two came to a standstill, Amy didn't want to say goodbye yet and she wasn't sure why Zack had continued to stay. Eventually, she told herself this would have to end. Like February 14th did every year. She braced herself, though the words felt thick and heavy on her tongue.

"Goodbye Zack." That was all she was willing to say, she held Raggedy Ann closer to her body.  
He was silent for a few moments, before nodding at her goodbye. The next thing happened too quickly, he moved closer to her, bowing his head down slightly as he gently kissed her forehead. He gently whispered a goodbye, before walking off and waving. It was too quick for Amy to react and she didn't manage to catch the expression on his face. The only thing that she could focus on was the sensation of his lips on her forehead, which she was now touching as if trying to understand if that just happened.


	4. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Haha, so I'm still here for anyone who is still interested in this story. Sorry for the century late update, to explain I have three words: University exam season.

It was odd how such a little thing could easily become part of your daily life. In the past Amy only visited the quaint little music shop to see Eunice every month or so, and this was only when she wasn't busy doing work for her research. Recently as she had finished a session in the lab she would find herself at the entrance of the music store, which welcomed her with the melodic chiming of the metallic swans hanging on the blue canopy. At times she would make the excuse that she had come to see the wonderful harp that Eunice had let her have the pleasure of playing all those days ago but she knew that there was another reason. That very reason had caught her eye the moment that she walked through the shop doors.

"Hey! Amy!" A casual smile, sitting next to Eunice as they both held some sort of beverage. Today Zack wore a plain black T-Shirt and jeans, one leg crossed over the other but he seemed to correct his posture the moment that he opened the door. It might have been Amy's imagination but she felt as if he looked brighter each moment she saw him at the shop, this incidence would have now been the fourth time. Amy noted that Zack and the elderly woman were on good terms which helped her stay at ease.

"Hello Zack… Eunice" The old lady smiled and offered Amy a seat though before she could stand up, Amy moved and sat reserved across the pair of them. Eunice's store normally didn't have many customers during this time of day, so the trio spent an hour or so talking. Amy had been urged once in a while to play the harp again, though for some reason she was reluctant as if the eyes on her would burn through her skin. Though she longed to see the bright smile on Zack's face again after he had heard her play the first time, she was afraid. So afraid that the same smile would make her fall to the point of no return. Amy tried to reason that her coming to see Zack was a way of her to control and conquer the feelings of infatuation. It was working, she would repeat. To her surprise she gradually started to become more comfortable around him, although she still stiffened when he got too close or looked too lost in thought after she had begun talking to him about her research. Conversation was smoother now, though there was always a few awkward pauses. She didn't even realise that they were still walking together outside of the shop after saying goodbye to Eunice.

"-and that is what happens during the Doppler Effect…" Amy had started to finish, trying not to be swayed by the way his mouth quirked upwards in interest as she talked animatedly about science.

Then the awkward silence settled for a few moments, Amy became aware of where they were. Walking side to side on the pavement, towards where her car was parked as if it were the most natural instinct. When she grew aware of this, her body stiffened and her walking became ridged as she focused her gaze on the floor.

"Are you okay?" The tall male came to an abrupt halt once he noticed the change in her mannerisms. His brows furrowed together as if trying to figure out the issue. "Cold?" Amy shook her head, her shoulders were shaking slightly too which Zack assumed was her shivering. "D'you want my… Oh wait, I don't have one." He chuckled softly, realising that he was only wearing his T-Shirt and Jeans. He frowned as he tried to think of a solution.

The longer they stood there on the sidewalk, the more Amy wanted to run. She didn't understand herself. Things had been going so smoothly when they were in the shop, what was different now? Was it because Eunice wasn't there? So this meant she still couldn't be alone with Zack without becoming a nervous wreck? She was suddenly snapped out of her thoughts when Zack suddenly exclaimed, causing her to startle slightly.

"Let's go grab a coffee!" He grinned as he spotted a coffee shop a few blocks away.  
"Um…" Amy looked away. "T-Thank you… But I really should be getting home… I-It's late and…"  
The smile on his face lowered so slightly that Amy barely noticed. "You sure? One drink can't hurt…"  
Amy felt something grab at her, twisting her gut painfully. She could easily stay longer, there was nothing back home waiting for her but an empty apartment. She opened her mouth to speak but struggled, until finally she managed to get there words out:

"I'm sorry… I can't." She felt something sink in her shoulders, she didn't have the courage to face him but she wondered if he had still been smiling.  
There was the sound of a faint chuckle and a warm hand gently patting her head. "Some other time then."  
Her eyes were kept downcast even as Zack patted her head. "Well… I suppose this is goodbye-" She was interrupted suddenly. Though the lilting happy tone in his voice had never faded.  
"At least let me walk you to your car. It's getting dark and it isn't safe to be alone." Amy paused once more, the sinking feeling after she had rejected his offer for coffee wasn't leaving and continued to weight heavier on her each second they spend standing on the sidewalk. Eventually she opted for nodding as they continued to walk to her car, conversation grew stale after that although Zack kept trying to lift her spirits as if sensing there was something wrong. Amy found the frantic effort endearing, despite the fact that Zack had somehow started talking about audacious conspiracies. At this moment he was wondering what the moon would taste like if it was made of cheese. Amy nodded and laughed lightly at his words but the feeling in her gut would never leave.

Eventually they arrived at her car, Amy awkwardly turned to face him despite how her body was resisting.

"Thank you… for walking me to my car, Zack."  
"Hey, no problem! See you later then?"  
"Yes… Goodbye." She tried to mask the unease with her usual formal tone, as she walked into the driver seat and started the engine, nodding as Zack waved her goodbye and disappeared into the distance.

Amy took a deep breath and started her journey towards her apartment, though as she continued to think about the empty, vast silence that awaited her she found herself taking longer roads and more scenic routes. None of which eased her feeling, it was only until she saw a sign that pointed to a familiar place that she found herself parked nearby Los Robles Avenue. She hoped that appearing there at this time, unannounced wasn't unreasonable. She walked up the familiar, dull and seemingly never-ending flights of stairs as she took a breath and stood in front of a familiar door. Amy moves closer to the wooden door and knocked firmly. After a few moments the door opened.

"Amy?"


End file.
